After a week of rain, things finally cleared out and slowly the ground has begun to dry. The downside is that it's been very cold at night and even during the day it was a bit crisp...the end result was something that's not normally seen here in this part of Southern California: SNOW!
Needless to say, I had to get Max out on the trail again and so I decided to scout out some of the storm damage. I avoided low-lying areas since there's still a lot of water and the attendant risk of quicksand. Also, any of the usual stream crossings in the Hansen Dam Basin are going to be higher than usual with a fast current (all the run-off from the mountains). My area to ride in was going to be somewhat limited.
I rode down the wash and except for fast moving water in the stream, it wasn't too much of a problem. When I rode under the Foothill Blvd. and 210 bridges, I noticed that the stream was only running on one side and it was fairly easy to cross so I could have accessed a fairly large area of the basin in either direction.
I decided to go towards the Equestrian Center and Gabriellano Park, working my way around the Equestrian Center and then heading east on the Haul Road. I then took a loop home that took me past the Park (where I decided to work Max some). Finally, I made my way up Orcas Ave. towards the stables.
Overall, there was the usual sort of earth movement and the run-off had deposited a large amount of ash from last August's Station Fire. There streams running through the basin had definitely expanded so it's going to be awhile before I get down there. I took a few pictures with my cell phone- not the best camera, it was more beautiful in person.
Max did pretty well and he was eager to get out after a week in his stall but he wasn't crazy. Working him out in the Gabriellano Park was definitely a good idea and we even reviewed some basic dressage moves and collection. Hopefully the weather will stay relatively clear for awhile (although another storm is supposed to be coming on Monday- we'll see) so I can get back to working Max.
Needless to say, I had to get Max out on the trail again and so I decided to scout out some of the storm damage. I avoided low-lying areas since there's still a lot of water and the attendant risk of quicksand. Also, any of the usual stream crossings in the Hansen Dam Basin are going to be higher than usual with a fast current (all the run-off from the mountains). My area to ride in was going to be somewhat limited.
I rode down the wash and except for fast moving water in the stream, it wasn't too much of a problem. When I rode under the Foothill Blvd. and 210 bridges, I noticed that the stream was only running on one side and it was fairly easy to cross so I could have accessed a fairly large area of the basin in either direction.
I decided to go towards the Equestrian Center and Gabriellano Park, working my way around the Equestrian Center and then heading east on the Haul Road. I then took a loop home that took me past the Park (where I decided to work Max some). Finally, I made my way up Orcas Ave. towards the stables.
Overall, there was the usual sort of earth movement and the run-off had deposited a large amount of ash from last August's Station Fire. There streams running through the basin had definitely expanded so it's going to be awhile before I get down there. I took a few pictures with my cell phone- not the best camera, it was more beautiful in person.
Max did pretty well and he was eager to get out after a week in his stall but he wasn't crazy. Working him out in the Gabriellano Park was definitely a good idea and we even reviewed some basic dressage moves and collection. Hopefully the weather will stay relatively clear for awhile (although another storm is supposed to be coming on Monday- we'll see) so I can get back to working Max.
Little Tujunga Canyon
Haul Road looking east
Looking east from Gabriellano Park
Big Tujunga Canyon, looking northeast
Another view of Big Tujunga Canyon, looking northeast
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